All posts by h716a5.icu

Adam Riley and Darren Stevens put Kent on course for their second Division Two victory of the season by demolishing Derbyshire’s batting and forcing them to follow on

Press Association23-Jun-2014
ScorecardAdam Riley claimed a four-wicket haul•Getty ImagesAdam Riley and Darren Stevens put Kent on course for their second Division Two victory of the season by demolishing Derbyshire’s batting and forcing them to follow on at Canterbury.Offspinner Riley, touted as an England Test possible against India later this summer, took 4 for 30 as Derbyshire plunged to 115 all out in reply to Kent’s first innings of 333. At stumps Derbyshire were 32 for 3 in their second innings, still 186 runs behind at the end of a second day, which had begun with Adam Ball and Robbie Joseph taking their ninth wicket stand to 59 as Kent added 74 runs to their overnight 259 for 8.Stevens picked up 3 for 25 first time around with his medium-paced seamers. He then took the new ball when Derbyshire batted again to send back opener Paul Borrington in his second over, caught at second slip by Riley, and Stephen Moore lbw for 14 in his seventh over as he tried to pull a ball which kept low.Brendan Nash, called up to bowl the last over of the day with his occasional left-arm spin, then saw nightwatchman Tom Taylor edge to Stevens at slip as he pushed defensively forward.Borrington, indeed, fell twice to Stevens in the day. The first time he sliced to Ben Harmison at third slip on 8 soon after lunch, at the start of a Derbyshire collapse which saw them lose eight wickets in the afternoon session and four wickets for three runs in just 21 balls at the height of their slide.Doug Bollinger, the Australia left-arm fast bowler, also played his part in Derbyshire’s demise by dismissing both Moore and Wayne Madsen with the new ball. Moore edged behind on 4, cutting at the fifth ball after lunch, and Madsen was bowled for 7 off an inside edge.Scott Elstone laboured 26 balls for his nought before becoming the first of Riley’s victims on a dry, dusting surface, which was being monitored closely by David Capel, the ECB pitch inspector. Former England allrounder Capel was making a routine visit and had not been summoned by umpires Rob Bailey and Martin Bodenham.Elstone was caught at slip from a ball that bounced to take his glove, while Alex Hughes and Gareth Cross also failed to score as Derbyshire’s first innings fell apart in mid-afternoon. Hughes was brilliantly caught off Stevens by Ball at first slip, left-handed and low down, but Cross looked distraught at being adjudged caught off bat and pad to Riley from the first ball he faced.Derbyshire were 56 for 7 when Stevens swung one back into the left-handed David Wainwright to have him leg-before for 1 and Marcus North was cleaned up for 18 by an inswinging near-yorker from Joseph just before tea.Tony Palladino offered 75 minutes’ resistance before, on 24, swinging Riley straight to Joseph on the deep midwicket boundary and the biggest partnership of an innings in which 29 extras was the largest contributor came when No. 11 Mark Footitt slogged Riley for a six and a four to make 14 in a stand of 22 with Taylor.There was also a moment of high comedy when Footitt, stranded and prone in mid-pitch when he slipped trying to turn back in a mix-up with Taylor, escaped a run-out when Kent wicketkeeper Sam Billings could not take an awkward throw. The ball ran away into the outfield and Footitt, who had made no effort to get up as he clearly assumed he was out, scrambled to his feet and ran through for two overthrows.

Ben Rohrer, Ahmed Shehzad and Davy Jacobs have been drafted in to the CPL as replacements for Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh and Aaron Finch

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Jul-2013Ben Rohrer, Ahmed Shehzad and Davy Jacobs have been drafted in to the Caribbean Premier League as replacements for Steve Smith, Shaun Marsh and Aaron Finch, after the Australian trio was unable to get no-objection certificates from Cricket Australia.Rohrer will replace his countryman Smith for Antigua Hawksbills, Pakistan opener Shehzad will step in for Marsh for Jamaica Tallawahs, and South African wicketkeeper Jacobs will be coming in for Finch for Trinidad & Tobago Red Steel.Rohrer, who scored 295 runs at a strike-rate of 152.09 in the 2012-13 edition of the Big Bash League, said that he was relishing the prospect of working with Hawksbills coach Viv Richards and Ricky Ponting, who is part of the squad.Shehzad was part of the Pakistan squad that won the 2009 World Twenty20 and reached the semi-finals of the 2011 World Cup. He has scored two domestic T20 centuries and has a strike-rate of 134.23.”Losing Shaun is a shame but we have got a like-for-like replacement with Ahmed Shehzad who is perfect for the team’s balance,” Paul Nixon, the Tallawahs coach, said. Nixon also praised Shehzad’s “special ability” as a top-order batsman.”Chris (Gayle) knows him well and we believe that he will be a match-winner who can really make his mark on the world stage. He is a very gifted and classy player and we feel he is the last piece in our jigsaw.”Jacobs, like Shehzad and Rohrer, initially missed out on a spot with one of the six franchises in the draft in June. He captained South African franchise Warriors to their first ever Twenty20 title in 2010-11.”Davy Jacobs is a proven performer in Twenty20 cricket,” Gordon Greenidge, coach of the Red Steel, said. “The fact he can bat anywhere in the top order is great as it provides us with real flexibility and I like the balance of our squad.”He will add steel to the Red Steel dressing room and bring a winning mentality and vast experience to the squad.”The inaugural Caribbean Premier League starts on July 30 in Barbados and concludes on August 24 in Trinidad.

Graham Gooch has hailed England’s back-to-back Test wins in India as a “monumental achievement”

George Dobell in Kolkata10-Dec-2012Graham Gooch has hailed England’s back-to-back Test wins in India as a “monumental achievement”. Gooch, the highest run-scorer in England’s Test history and the side’s current batting coach, claimed England were now “in the ascendancy”, but warned that with one Test remaining, plenty of hard work lay ahead if they were to claim their first series win in India since 1984-85.After losing the first Test in Ahmedabad, England won in Mumbai and Kolkata to take a 2-1 lead with one match to play. While Gooch praised the team for their fightback, he also suggested India might prepare a “result pitch” for the last Test in Nagpur, starting on Thursday, to maximise their chances of securing a result to draw the series.”It was a monumental achievement,” Gooch said. “We know these conditions are sometimes alien to English players. We lost the first Test, we took a bit of a beating there, and in their conditions – India have set up the conditions in Mumbai and Kolkata – our guys have responded magnificently. Let’s be fair, they’ve outplayed India in both the last two Tests.”When you go 1-0 down against hosts who have a very good record in their own conditions, it’s very satisfying when you can turn it round and use the skills you have practised long and hard to outplay the opposition.”But I don’t think for one minute that the guys think the job is done. We’re 2-1 up with one to play. We want a positive result in Nagpur. I don’t think I’m giving anything away by saying it’s going to be a result pitch in Nagpur. If I was India I would want a result pitch to take my chances.”The things MS Dhoni has said after Mumbai I totally agree with – he wants to play on pitches that produce results and I don’t have a problem with that. I’d rather have a pitch that produces a result that one that produces 600 plays 600. So we know it’s likely to be a pitch where it will be tough for the batsmen, with the ball turning. But after our last two performances we can go there with confidence and we’ve got to make sure we bring our A game to Nagpur.”Gooch was particularly keen to credit Alastair Cook for England’s revival. Cook scored his third century of the series and the 23rd of his Test career to set up the victory in Kolkata and has also impressed as a new captain in helping his side come from behind in a series in conditions where many expected them to struggle.”He’s always been an impressive young man, mature beyond his years,” Gooch said. “He works hard at his game. We’ve spent hours and hours in the nets over a long period of time and credit to him, he’s the one who deserves to take the plaudits. He’s worked hard at all types of his technique against spin, pace and swing bowling and he’s had some low moments – as you do as a player – and now he’s reaping the rewards for that hard work.”We showed lots of character coming back, but Alastair is a character who tried to keep his feet on the ground in defeat or in success and when he does well or has a bad day. It’s a good way to approach it. He’s very level-headed. From the time he first came into the Essex professional set-up to the time he scored his first Test hundred, he has been very mature about his cricket. He knows exactly what he wants and he knows how to go about it. He works very hard and, generally, that’s a winning combination.”He has led this team really well. He’s still learning as a captain and he’ll continue to develop. He’s only new to captaincy. He’s had a good start, there’ll be highs and lows along the way but he’ll take them equally and move forward. English cricket is lucky to have a player like him at the head of their team.”Gooch also praised the desire and commitment of England’s other batsmen. “The guys have worked hard at their game,” he said. “Our guys have a good work ethic. They’ve taken on board all the help they’ve been given about playing the turning ball and how to shape their technique. Credit to them, they’ve worked hard since the first training camp in Mumbai. All the work they’ve put in over a long period of time has now started to show rewards. We’ve got to make sure we carry that on in the next game and perform well there and come away from this country with our supporters being proud of the England cricket team.”

Anuja Patil produced a cameo with the bat to lift India Women to 130 and then struck three times to apply the chokehold on Sri Lanka Women’s chase

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Anuja Patil (left) starred both with the bat and ball•Getty ImagesAnuja Patil produced a cameo with the bat to lift India Women to 130 and then struck three times with the ball to apply the chokehold on Sri Lanka Women’s chase in Ranchi. Her all-round effort sent India 1-0 up in the three-match T20 series.Anuja struck in the first over of the chase, removing Yasoda Mendis for 8. She soon dismissed the other opener, Chamari Atapattu, for a seven-ball duck. Shikha Pandey, Ekta Bisht, Poonam Yadav, Deepti Sharma all built on the early strikes and ensured that Sri Lanka were limited to 96 for 7 in 20 overs. Wicketkeeper-batsman Dilani Manodara made the only score of note – 41 off 44 balls. The next-best score was captain Shashikala Siriwardene’s 18 off 29 balls. Each of India’s bowlers boasted an economy rate of under 5.80. Anuja finished with career-best figures of 3 for 14.Earlier in the day, India’s top order stuttered as well as the hosts were reduced to 15 for 2 within four overs. But the innings was stabilised by thirties from Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur. Anuja, coming in at No.6, hit three fours during her 17-ball 22 to provide the final flourish.Left-arm spinner Sugandika Kumari, who accounted for the top three, was the pick of the bowlers for Sri Lanka. However, it only offered scant consolation for the visitors.

Steve Mullaney and Paul Franks cut loose after solid work by the Nottinghamshire top order before late wickets put Yorkshire on the back foot

Paul Edwards at North Marine Road06-Jun-2013
ScorecardSteven Mullaney’s innings helped Nottinghamshire up the tempo of their innings•Getty ImagesFor four sessions this match was rich in adagio and short on allegro. No shame in that, of course. Nottinghamshire’s batsmen were charged with building a substantial first-innings total on a testing wicket against an accurateYorkshire attack. Their lunchtime score on the second day – 242 for 5 off 101.5 overs – bore testimony to the hard work both sides had doneThere had been no criticism of the tempo of the cricket from the knowledgeable crowd either. Decked as they were in sunhats and pastel shades on this glorious Thursday in June, promenaders of both loyalties understood very well that it is not always possible to play festival cricket, even at Scarborough.And, yes, there is often a symphonic quality to a fine innings, whether it is played by a team or an individual. Not for nothing do the coaches talk about the value of batting in partnerships: one pair shows fierce restraint in order that their successors can play with gorgeous freedom.Nottinghamshire’s first innings 443 possessed something of this musical balance.Michael Lumb and Ed Cowan’s 101-run stand on the first day was the prelude to Lumb’s attack on the Yorkshire attack in the evening session. On Thursday, Lumb and Taylor, the latter batsman probably carrying his defensive duties from principle to dogma, blunted Andrew Gale’s bowlers in the morning in the hope that a big score would be the consequence of their self-denying ordinance.Lumb added 19 runs to his overnight score before being caught by second-slip Adam Lyth off Steven Patterson for 135; Taylor had faced 148 balls for his 38 runs when he unwisely tried to whip the same admirable fast bowler to leg in the over before lunch.The strategy bore fruit but the sheer brio and chutzpah of what took place in the afternoon session still came as a lovely surprise for Nottinghamshire fans, many of whom were prepared for yet more studious sonatas and scurried singles. Steven Mullaney, unbeaten on nought at the break, unveiled a series of excellent drives and cuts as the Yorkshire bowlers finally forswore their vows of rectitude and accuracy.In company with Paul Franks, Mullaney added 87 in 16 overs before he was caught off bat and boot at short leg for a 97-ball 79. Richard Pyrah came in for particularly rough treatment, Mullaney cutting and gliding the medium-pacer for five boundaries in nine balls. And before dismissing Mullaney, Adil Rashid had been hit for two sixes, one straight, the other over long-on as the batsman capitalised on his colleagues’ work.After tea Franks, too, played with far greater freedom as the innings moved from exposition to its final development. Long regarded as one of county cricket’s more valuable performers – a players’ player, if you will – Franks made 70 off 108 balls, taking his team’s total beyond the 400-mark and finally battering Gale’s bowlers into defeat. Three late wickets made not a minim of difference to the balance of the piece. Patterson, who took 3 for 74 off 37 overs was the pick of the Yorkshire attack and it is a little puzzling that this most consistent of seamers has never received any sort of England call.There was a late clatter of wickets for the Nottinghamshire supporters to enjoy too. Luke Fletcher and Harry Gurney are one of the English game’s more hostile pace duos. With the new ball and on a pitch that offers bounce and movement to those prepared to bend their backs, the pair removed Adam Lyth and Alex Lees and nightwatchman Patterson, the latter getting a touch to a Hannibal Lecter of a delivery: it was very nasty and went straight for the throat.Yorkshire still need 265 runs to avoid the follow-on. Almost every member of Chris Read’s orchestra had played their parts to perfection; there had been few duff notes. It was something for home supporters to ponder as they made their way out of North Marine Road and back to their hotels and guest houses on a tearfully lovely evening. They may place their hopes on yet another virtuoso performance with the bat from Rashid. But they cannot rely on their newly crowned maestro forever.

Andrew Flintoff is hoping that his professional comeback with Lancashire is not just a brief career revival

ESPNcricinfo staff31-May-2014Andrew Flintoff is hoping that his professional comeback with Lancashire is not just a brief career revival but Ian Botham has said Flintoff’s plans are a “massive mistake.”Flintoff, who last played in 2009, signed a T20 deal with his county on Friday and will play for his original club, St Annes, on Saturday as he puts the final pieces in place to make a return to the Lancashire side, which could come in the Roses clash against Yorkshire next Friday.However, Botham fears that Flintoff may not have fully appreciated the gamble he is taking after the knee injury which previously curtailed his career.”While I wish him all the very best, I think he is making a massive mistake,” Botham wrote in his column the . “We’ve not seen Fred on a cricket field since those memorable days in 2009 – and five years is a long time out of the game.”For those that can’t remember that far back, Fred had no choice but to quit cricket because of a chronic knee injury that had made walking difficult let alone bowling at 90 miles an hour. Unless he’s managed to swap knees with someone, I don’t know how it has suddenly got better, allowing him to tear in and play the game properly.”To come back after five years out of the game and with that injury still in the background is a huge risk. I just hope he does not let himself down too badly.”When the comeback was first rumoured a few weeks ago it was soon being reported that Flintoff was gaining interest from Big Bash League franchises in Australia and the Caribbean Premier League, which begins in late July, could be another option for him to expand his T20 portfolio if his Lancashire return does not hit problems.After putting pen to paper at Old Trafford, Flintoff had no designs on this being a short-lived return to the cricket limelight and instead looked at those players still performing regularly into their late 30s and early 40s.”I don’t want it to be one year,” he said an interview with the BBC. “You see Brad Hogg playing in the Big Bash, Brad Hodge is playing for Australia at 39, Glen Chapple’s 40 and still charging in in four-dayers.”When I’m bowling it still hurts a bit, but I’m loving running in to bowl and if I can take that into a game I might be quite dangerous.”I’d sooner try and have it not come off than sit at home for the rest of my days thinking, ‘I should have tried this, I should have had a go.’ I don’t live like that.”On Friday evening, having trained with Lancashire before their T20 Blast match against Warwickshire, Flintoff was expressing his excitement over Twitter.”What a day, like starting school again if Carlsberg made schools!” he posted, before adding, “Off to bed for a sleepless night, playing Penrith tomorrow! Must Remember to bite my lip if they sledge , too old for that nonsense I hope!”He also joked that he may find it difficult to get into the Lancashire side after they secured their fourth win in a row by beating Warwickshire. “Should have come back a couple of years ago when we weren’t as good @LancsCCC !! Going to be tough to get in this side.”

Jesse Ryder has been recalled to New Zealand colours for the first time since February 2012 as part of a 13-man squad for the one-day series against West Indies

Andrew McGlashan19-Dec-2013Jesse Ryder has been recalled to New Zealand colours for the first time since February 2012 as part of a 13-man squad for the one-day series against West Indies.Elsewhere in the squad, Martin Guptill has returned from injury and will partner Ryder at the top of the order, meaning that Tom Latham misses out. Tim Southee will miss the first two matches of the series to have a toe problem dealt with, but is expected to return for the third ODI in Queenstown.Ryder has not played at international level after being dropped for disciplinary issues during the one-day series against South Africa. He has since had to serve a six-month suspension for taking banned stimulants, a period which coincided with his recovery from the serious assault he suffered in Christchurch earlier this year.Bruce Edgar, the national selector, said it was a credit to his perseverance that he has responded to so many setbacks. “He’s in great form and he’s in a great space. Go back a number of months ago and it could have been the end of his career. He’s come back with a vengeance and wants to play well and play for the Blackcaps, and that’s what we want.”Since returning to domestic cricket for Otago, following a move away from Wellington, he has scored 454 runs at 64.85 in four Plunket Shield matches. There has been understandable caution about Ryder’s return to the New Zealand fold, but Ryder is now ready to put a tough period behind him.”I set the goal to make it back earlier this year and it is a great end to a tough year for me,” Ryder said. “I’m more motivated than ever to perform for the Blackcaps.”And there won’t be any extra safety nets put in place for Ryder’s return. “Jesse is in the team environment so there’s plenty of support in that environment,” Edgar said.It has also been confirmed that Luke Ronchi will have the wicketkeeping gloves throughout the series. Last week Mike Hesson, the New Zealand coach, confirmed that Brendon McCullum’s days as a wicketkeeper were over due to his back problems.Adam Milne, the 21-year-old Central Districts pace bowler, who was part of the squad in Sri Lanka has been retained despite not taking a wicket in those three matches.Squad: Brendon McCullum (capt), Corey Anderson, Martin Guptill, Mitchell McClenaghan, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi, Jesse Ryder, Ross Taylor, Kane Williamson

An eleventh-hour surge put Basnahira Greens in touching distance of victory, but ultimately Kandurata Maroons’ 124 for 8 proved just enough on a used Premadasa pitch that has steadily deteriorated

Andrew Fidel Fernando12-Aug-2013
ScorecardAn eleventh-hour surge put Basnahira Greens in touching distance of victory, but ultimately Kandurata Maroons’ 124 for 8 proved just enough on a used Premadasa pitch that has steadily deteriorated. As has been the case during the tournament so far, the chasing side could not secure a situation of dominance throughout the innings, and for Basnahira, it was the five wickets they lost between the 9th and the 14th over that sealed their fate.Kithuruwan Vithanage attempted a valiant resurgence from No. 6, hitting 37 not out from 30, but in the end, spinners Kaushal Lokuarachchi and Shehan Jayasuriya had dismissed too many of his teammates for his innings to pay off. Basnahira lost by two runs, leaving Kandurata with two victories in as many matches.Although his spinners had been the most effective bowlers on this surface, Lahiru Thirimanne opted to hand Dhammika Prasad the last over of the innings, with Basnahira needing 21. Isuru Udana struck two sixes off the first two balls – the first a monumental straight strike – and having not threatened Kandurata’s total for most of the chase, Basnahira needed only 9 from the last four deliveries. Basnahira managed only two runs from the next three balls, with Udana falling off the penultimate ball. Vithanage needed to hit a six off the final delivery to tie the match, but could only get it behind point for four.Jayasuriya could not make an impact with the bat, earlier in the match, but his spell of 3-0-7-3 broke the back of Basnahira’s chase, which had begun steadily. In between Lokuarachchi had Angelo Mathews stumped for the second time in the tournament, and also dismissed Janaka Gunaratne and Sachithra Senanayake – both dangerous batsmen. Lokuarachchi finished with figures of 3 for 25 from his full quota.Earlier, Milinda Siriwardana had propelled Kandurata’s innings beyond 120, after it had threatened to stagnate during the middle overs. His unbeaten ninth-wicket stand with Prasad was worth 23, and the pair took 21 from the last 12 deliveries, with Siriwardana playing primary aggressor. Opener Upul Tharanga had helped lay the foundation for the innings with 27, before Lahiru Thirimanne ensured the scoreboard kept moving during the middle overs, with a 17-ball 22.

Arsenal fans came up with a brutal 'half our f*cking team' scored chant to mock Burnley fans as the five-star Gunners ran riot at Turf Moor.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Arsenal beat Burnley 5-0Gooners on a roll at Turf MoorHumiliate home fans with songGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The Gunners looked unstoppable on Saturday afternoon as they thrashed Burnley by five goals in a Premier League encounter. It was one-way traffic right from the first whistle and the travelling fans were having a gala time at the visitor's stand as their favourite team ruthlessly put the Clarets to the sword.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPWHAT WAS THE CHANT

To add flavour to the festive spirit and mock the opposition support, the Arsenal fans debuted a new chant: "Who put the ball in the Burnley net, half our fucking team did".

Martin Odegaard opened the scoring as early as the fourth minute and then Bukayo Saka added two more each side of half-time. Leandro Trossard got in on the action and then in the final quarter, Kai Havertz added the icing on the cake with the fifth of the night to cap off a relentless performance.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Arsenal have scored 11 goals on the road in their last two league games. They seem to have hit top gear at the right time as they continue to challenge Liverpool and Manchester City for the title.

Steven Smith was lbw to Jerome Taylor on 199, his career-best score, as Australia were dismissed for 399 after lunch at Sabina Park. Taylor’s figures of 6 for 47 were also a career best

The Report by George Binoy12-Jun-2015
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSteven Smith batted 513 minutes for his 199•Getty ImagesSteven Smith was batting on 199 on the second afternoon in Jamaica. He had never made a Test double-hundred and this innings comprised 50% of Australia’s total. Running at him was Jerome Taylor, a pillar amid the rubble of the West Indian attack. Smith had already achieved a career-best performance; Taylor was striving for his.The fast yorker swung late into the right-hander and for once Smith, so fleet of foot usually, was caught in his crease as the ball dipped under his bat and crashed into his boot, nearly toppling him. Taylor roared an appeal for lbw, and as Smith regained his balance to scamper around the bowler, his 200th run was cut short by the umpire’s raised finger. He reviewed but there was no reprieve.Smith became the third Australian to fall on 199 in Tests after Steve Waugh and Matthew Elliott. The visitors were dismissed for 399 soon after, and as Taylor left the field he posed for photographs with three metal plates from the Sabina Park scoreboard: they read 6-47, his new career-best figures.While West Indies had only one threatening bowler, Australia had three. The home team crumbled to 143 for 8 under relentless pressure from Nathan Lyon, Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc.The debutant from Guyana, Rajindra Chandrika, chased a wide one from Starc and was caught behind in the third over for a duck. Whether Starc had any bit of his boot behind the crease, however, was debatable but the third umpire Aleem Dar seemed to think so.Having opened the attack with Starc and Hazlewood, Michael Clarke brought on the offspinner Lyon in the sixth over, ahead of Johnson. Lyon got some balls to spin and bounce sharply but his three wickets were to deliveries that did not deviate as much. Kraigg Brathwaite played inside the line of an offbreak – perhaps thinking it would turn more – and was bowled, while Darren Bravo was trapped plumb by a straighter one.West Indies were 35 for 3 at tea and the slide continued in the final session. There was no period when their batsmen seemed in control and run-making involved high risks. Shane Dowrich perished edging a wide one from Hazlewood, while Shai Hope also played inside the line to Lyon and Brad Haddin brought his thighs together in time to catch the outside edge awkwardly.The lid to the West Indian tail was prised open by Hazlewood, when he thudded a full and fast delivery into the captain Denesh Ramdin’s pads. Jermaine Blackwood staged a one-man counterattack, but his half-century was far from assuring. There were plenty of slashes, carves and edges. He too did not last the day, holing out to mid-off soon after passing 50, giving Hazlewood his third scalp.Australia ended the second day ahead by 256, their bowlers consolidating the advantage created by Smith’s 513-minute vigil.Like he had done on the first day, Smith once again repaired damage in the morning. West Indies took the second new ball at the start of play and Taylor struck in his second over when Shane Watson shouldered arms to a delivery that held its line and hit the top of off stump. He had been set up by outswingers that curved away before Taylor tricked him with a cross-seam delivery.Brad Haddin came out swinging. He enjoyed the width from Kemar Roach, who was once again unable to back up Taylor. On 8, he slashed hard at Roach and watched Blackwood fail to take a tough chance over his head at point.Haddin had made a run-a-ball 22 when he attempted another flamboyant drive but was bowled through the gate. Taylor was in a different league to his colleagues and his fifth wicket reduced Australia to 296 for 6.Smith had been quiet through all this. Though he did not have the majority of strike on the second morning, there was no sign of frustration. He made only one run off 13 deliveries in the first half hour, before steering Taylor towards third man and pulling him to deep midwicket, his first forceful shots of the day. He passed 150 by threading the cordon with an outside edge off Roach.Only after Roach and Holder removed Johnson and Starc cheaply did Smith shift to a higher gear. His preferred target was once again the left-arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul, whom he charged to hit to the straight and midwicket boundary.Having scored only 40 of Australia’s 92 runs in the morning session, Smith blasted the first ball of the second session – a full and wide one from Roach – fiercely over extra cover and steered the next to the third-man boundary. He was accelerating towards the double and moved into the 190s via six runs, made up of a two and four overthrows. It was then that Ramdin brought back Taylor, and Smith was denied. He had begun his innings to the fourth ball of the match and ended it after 126 overs.